Rayforstia vulgaris ( Forster, 1959 ) Rix & Harvey, 2010

Rix, Michael & Harvey, Mark, 2010, The spider family Micropholcommatidae (Arachnida: Araneae: Araneoidea): a relimitation and revision at the generic level, ZooKeys 36 (36), pp. 1-321 : 56

Rayforstia vulgaris ( Forster, 1959) , comb. n.

Figs 7H , 47B , 84 , 85 , 87 A–B, 92–95

Textricella vulgaris Forster, 1959: 286 , figs 28–32 (holotype male from Lake Te Au, Southland, New Zealand, in Canterbury Museum, not examined). Forster & Platnick, 1981: 264, figs 3, 18–19, 27. Brignoli, 1983: 375, 695. Forster & Platnick, 1984: 92, figs 357–359, 362–367, 371–374. Platnick, 2009.

Selected material examined. NEW ZEALAND: South Island: Southland: Lake Te Au, near S. Arm of Lake Te Anau , 12–24.I.1953, R. Forster, 5♁, 7♀ ( MCZ) ; Fiordland, Cascade Creek, Eglinton Valley , 23.I.1951, R. Forster, 5♁, 8♀ ( MCZ) ; Fiordland National Park, Smithy Creek, 67 km N. of Te Anau , 17.IV.1995, C. Griswold, T. Meikle, 1♁, 4♀ ( CAS) . Canterbury: Coral Track entrance, between Arthurs Pass and Otira , 2.IV.2006, M. Rix, 2♁, 1♀ ( WAM T94456) ; Lewis Pass , 1.IV.2006, M. Rix, 11♁, 18♀ ( WAM T94455 SEM♁ ♀) ; same data, 1♁ ( WAM T80031 DNA-MPE) .

Remarks. Rayforstia vulgaris is a common and relatively widespread species on the South Island of New Zealand. It is most similar to the other eight-eyed species of Rayforstia described from New Zealand ( R. antipoda , R. insula , R. mcfarlanei and R. signata ), but can be distinguished by the distinctive shape of the external epigyne and receptacula ( Figs 84D , 87 A–B).

Figures

Figure 7. The genera of Micropholcommatidae, illustrated with habitus photographs of representative male specimens. A–D tribe Micropholcommatini: A Micropholcomma caeligenum Crosby & Bishop B Pua novaezealandiae Forster C Austropholcomma florentine sp. n. D Tricellina gertschi (Forster & Platnick). E–M tribe Textricellini: E Eterosonycha aquilina sp. n. F Epigastrina fulva (Hickman) G Raveniella peckorum sp. n. H Rayforstia vulgaris (Forster) I Normplatnicka lamingtonensis (Forster)] Eperiella alsophila sp. n. K Algidiella aucklandica (Forster) L Taliniella nigra (Forster) M Tinytrella pusilla (Forster). N Patelliella adusta sp. n., tribe Patelliellini. O–P subfamily Taphiassinae: O Olgania excavata Hickman P Taphiassa robertsi sp. n. Q–R subfamily Gigiellinae: Q Gigiella milledgei sp. n. R Gigiella platnicki sp. n. Note that Guiniella tropica (Forster) is not illustrated.

Figure 47. Diagnostic characters of the derived Textricellini (i.e. all textricellin genera except Tinytrella), illustrated with scanning electron micrographs: A–B three peg teeth on the cheliceral promargin of male Normplatnicka lamingtonensis (Forster) (left) and male Rayforstia vulgaris (Forster) (right) C–D ornate, ridged cuticular microstructure on the pedipalpal patella of male N. lamingtonensis (left) and male Eperiella alsophila sp. n. (right).

Figure 84. Rayforstia vulgaris (Forster) from Lake Te Au, New Zealand (MCZ): A male habitus, dorsal view B female habitus, dorsal view C male cephalothorax, antero-dorsal view D female abdomen, ventral view.

Figure 85. Rayforstia vulgaris (Forster) from Lake Te Au, New Zealand (MCZ): A male habitus, ventrolateral view B male pedipalps, ventral view.

Figure 87. Rayforstia species, female cleared receptacula, dorsal view: A–B R. vulgaris (Forster) from Lewis Pass, New Zealand (WAM T94455) C R. signata (Forster) from the Puhipuhi Valley, New Zealand (AMNH) D R. antipoda (Forster) from Lake Hawea, New Zealand (AMNH) E allotype R. lordhowensis sp. n. from Lord Howe Island, New South Wales (AMS KS76260) F R. propinqua (Forster) from Broken River, New Zealand (MCZ) G R. salmoni (Forster) from Desert Road, New Zealand (AMNH) H R. scuta (Forster) from Norsewood, New Zealand (AMNH). Arrows indicate the trajectory of insemination ducts. Scale bar = 0.065 mm (65 µm).